When it rains it pours, most aptly sums up the situation in Pakistan at the moment. A leaked video showing popular anchorpersons Mehar Bokhari and Mubashar Lucman involved in a set-up interview has sent shock waves across the media industry and the people. The leak comes while the country is embroiled in huge court cases from the Chief Justice's son to the Head of intelligence agencies, the leak brings to light important questions about integrity of journalism in Pakistan and the involvement of strategic players in influencing it.

In the video[1] it's evident how the two anchorpersons are plotting questions during the break. The guest, Malik Riaz, a property tycoon who has filed a corruption case against the Chief Justice's son, is being consulted and prepared for questions throughout the breaks in the program. One of the anchorperson, Mubashar Lucman, is continuously seen receiving calls and texts instructing him to ask specific questions and frame the argument in a certain manner. At one point, Mr. Lucman receives a call from Prime Minister's son, who is currently being tried for a drug case[2], and explicitly asks him if he thinks the program is going in the right direction before handing the phone to the guest Malik Riaz.

[3]

Screenshot from the leaked video

The leaked video[3] was first uploaded to Youtube and then picked up by mainstream media channels, hence the initial reactions were seen on social media even before the story was reported:

So, basically we find out the following things: 1. This was a total set-up of an interview, with planted questions. 2. Malik Riaz is not only told the questions before-hand, he is fed some of the answers too and prompted by the intrepid interviewers to say things he might have forgot to mention. 3. The Prime Minister's son Abdul Qadir Gilani is in the know and involved, as are the Sharif brothers in a slightly different way. 4. There are instructions from Dunya TV management ‘not to interrupt’ Malik Riaz, even if it means going over time. Obviously, Dunya TV is more beholden to him than anyone could have guessed. 5. There actually were plenty of ego-clashes between the Bokhari and Lucman [..]

Within a few hours of the video leak, TV Channel Dunya and the the anchorpersons tried to get the video off the internet citing copyright violations. Within minutes the videos were downloaded incase they are removed. Netizens also moved a petition calling to protect ‘whistleblowers’ within the media.

But all is not hopeless in the media industry in Pakistan, shortly after the leak video was released, popular anchor Naseem Zehra resigned from the channel garnering support and respect from fellow journalists.

A legal case has also been pursued in the High Court seeking to ban the anchorpersons, but the question remains is banning the solution? For now it seems that the channel will not be firing the journalists, however netizens as well as mainstream media reporters are now raising questions triggering a debate on the credibility of the journalists in Pakistan and factors that influence unbiased reporting. Whether this debate would lead to mediapersons to put their house in order, remains to be seen.